Than vs. Then

by Heather

Lexical Vexations

Today’s post was requested by reader Elaine, who writes, “Please add ‘Then vs Than.’ Then refers to a time element; than is used in a comparative sense.”

As you can see Elaine has a lockdown on this tricky pair, but she’s picked a perfect lexical vexation. These words refer to pretty abstract ideas and are easily confused even by seasoned writers, especially when they’re pressed for time.

Word in the Wild: “I’ll show them,” Jamie said. “After I graduate from spelling-bee boot camp, I’ll be able to spell every word in the dictionary backwards and forwards. Then I’ll win the citywide spelling trophy and show that know-it-all Kerry I’m better than him.

Taming this tricky pair: With practice you can train your brain to send up a red flag whenever you see the word than or then in a document you’re editing. Whenever you spot one, ask yourself whether the phrase in question is really about time or if it’s a comparison.

Most people don’t have too much trouble remembering that the word then refers to time; once you’ve done that, you can deduce that than must be for comparisons. I’ve been trying to think of an easy mnemonic for this lexical vexation for a long time, but haven’t come up with anything yet. If you know of a trick for keeping these two words straight, I hope you’ll let us know about it in the comments!

Still vexed? You can find a complete list of the Word Blog’s lexical vexations here.